


Better Together

by lasairfhiona



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Compliant, Captain America: The Winter Soldier Compliant, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-26
Updated: 2014-08-26
Packaged: 2018-02-13 09:05:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2144952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lasairfhiona/pseuds/lasairfhiona
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bruce helps his lovers deal with the nightmares brought on by the Battle of New York and the Fall of SHIELD</p>
            </blockquote>





	Better Together

**Author's Note:**

  * For [whiteraven1606](https://archiveofourown.org/users/whiteraven1606/gifts).



Bruce sighed when he reached over and found Tony's side of the bed empty, again. Nightmares that had plagued his lover since , but had lessened over time came back in full force since the fall of SHIELD and Clint's disappearance.

He pulled on a pair of pyjama pants and went in search of Tony, finding him standing in front of the large windows of the main room buck naked staring out over the city, his dark hair looking like he'd been running his hand through it in frustration.

"Tony?" he called as he approached his lover. He saw Tony glance at him before looking back out the window. He wasn't convinced his lover had really registered his presence. "Are you okay?"

"I couldn't sleep."

"Nightmares?" he asked wondering what had woken Tony.

"Yeah, but not what you think."

"What then?" he asked curious as to what else would keep Tony up besides the nightmare they had lived though the last couple years.

"Clint."

"What about him?"

"I can't find him. How come fucking HYDRA can know where everyone they want to kill is, but *I* can't find Clint?"

"Because he is good at what he does," Bruce commented wrapping his arms around Tony and holding his lover, hoping his words would soothe his lover even just a little.

"I hope so. I dream about the killings."

"The ones that never happened." Bruce pointed out.

"That part doesn't matter. I see Clint being gunned down and left for dead in the middle of some field and he comes back to life looking at me with decaying skin and dead eyes asking why I didn't save him."

"Oh, Tony," was all Bruce could say. Their missing archer worried both of them but Tony had taken every death of every friend in SHIELD personally since HYDRA's exposure as if he could have saved them himself. And every betrayal even harder.

"Guess maybe I shouldn't have watched that _Walking Dead_ marathon last night huh?"

Bruce just smiled and shook his head at Tony's method of deflection. "Maybe not," he simply answered. There really wasn't much he could say. It was obvious that Tony's subconscious had taken the TV show and twisted it with Tony's guilt about being unable to find Clint to make for even more horrible nightmares.

###

"Sir, you have a guest coming up in the elevator."

"Who is it JARVIS?"

"I was asked to keep his arrival a surprise, sir."

"Wonder which one of our supposed dead friends has come back to life this time," Tony grumbled, putting down the laser tool he'd been working with before turning and leaning on the workbench to wait for whomever arrived this time. Last time he had a surprise visitor, it had been Agent letting him know he was alive and looking for Barton. "Hey Bruce, maybe the one-eyed pirate is still alive," he commented as he watched Bruce close his book and pull off his glasses.

The last person he expected to see barely standing upright in the elevator in dirty ripped up clothes, filthy hair that stood up at every angle known to man, and dark circles under his eyes was Clint.

"Legolas!" Tony exclaimed at the same time Bruce called, "Clint!"

"Hey, guys," he said stumbling out of the elevator. .

Tony was closest and caught Clint before he hit the floor. "What the hell happened to you?" He knew it must have taken every once of will power to make it back to them. “Bruce?”

"Take him to our room, put him in the tub and let's get a good look at him."

"Guys no need to fuss."

"Shut up Barton," Tony ordered propping Clint up as he shuffled them back into the elevator. "JARVIS. Penthouse level," he instructed.

Tony held Clint as Bruce checked him over briefly. Their archer had lost a lot of weight and appeared to be exhausted.

"Bath and bed," Bruce instructed.

"JARVIS..." Tony started to say when his AI interrupted him. "I've already started the water in the big tub, sirs."

"Thank you J," he said as he shifted Clint closer in his arms.

###

Bruce checked over every inch of Clint's body, after Tony had helped him manhandle Clint out of his clothes and into the tub. Tony held their archer against his chest. The fact Clint had barely put up any protest was a testament to the fact he'd worn himself past the point of exhaustion. In fact, he was amazed Clint was still functional.

When he finished washing Clint, he shaved him and Tony washed Clint hair, finally using the sprayer to rinse any of the remaining suds from Clint's body. They then maneuvered him into bed where Tony had pulled Clint into his arms and held him softly caressing his back.

Bruce caught Tony's eye and saw his lover's worried expression. "You know he should be in the hospital," he quietly told Tony.

"No. He hates hospitals."

"He needs more than we are equipped for," he told Tony.

"Call Coulson. He has supplies."

Bruce conceded knowing for now Clint needed sleep as much as anything else.

"J, call Agent. Let him know about Clint and what we need."

"Consider it done, Sir."

"Happy now?"

Bruce smiled settling himself against the headboard with a tablet. He reached out to lay a hand on Clint's back, feeling the new marks over top the older ones inflicted during childhood. He couldn't help but wonder what Clint had been through in the months he'd been gone and what nightmares would haunt his sleep.

###

"No! No! Stop!"

Bruce jumped up from the chair he'd moved to when both Tony and Clint fell asleep so he wouldn't disturb them, tossing his Starkpad on the chair behind him when he heard Clint's cries. "Shhh... Clint. You're safe. I'm here. Tony's here," he said trying to calm their lover. Tony had just gotten up and came skidding back into the room from the kitchen where he'd gone to get coffee for them, having been alerted to Clint's nightmare by JARVIS.

"Easy, Legolas. Were here."

Together with Tony, they cuddled close to Clint and caressed his body gently, whispering soothing things against his body. When Clint woke again much later, he gave them a deer in the headlight look. Bruce knew the minute Clint focused on who was with him.

"Bruce. Tony," Clint said weakly.

"Welcome back," Bruce said giving Clint a soft kiss on his forehead.

"How?"

Bruce wasn't sure exactly what Clint was asking so he answered anything that could be answered. "You've been sleeping for almost 24 hours. How you got here, I honestly don't know, sheer will power I suspect. How are you? Severe exhaustion. Dehydration. And I suspect by your weight loss, malnutrition," he stated. "Does that just about answer your questions?" He saw Clint's nod from the security of Tony's arms. "Can you tell us what happened?" Where you were?"

When Clint shook his head, Bruce nodded, "when you're ready," he said lightly kissing Clint's forehead again.

"Sirs, Agent Coulson is here with Agent Simmons to see Agent Barton."

"Coulson?" Clint questioned.

"Not dead," Tony answered. "Long story best told over lots of booze. He came looking for his favourite archer after SHIELD went down," Tony added before instructing, "J, direct them up here."

"What?"

Bruce sensed Clint's turmoil. "Shh... We called Agent Coulson because he has a doctor on board and she can help you, otherwise we'd have to take you to a hospital and we know you wouldn't want that."

At Clint's nod, he got up and helped Clint sit up more, resting against the wooden headboard instead of Tony. The gasp and death grip on his hand as Coulson entered the room told him a lot about what Clint's nightmares still were about and the guilt he felt about Coulson's supposed death.

Bruce watched as the plucky young scientist pushed past where Coulson stood looking at Clint and gasped, "Clint."

"Jemma," Clint said with the first real smile Bruce had seen on his face.

"How?" Tony asked.

"Agent Barton taught at the Academy," Jemma answered.

Bruce barely hid his smile as he watched the young doctor work on Clint checking vitals for herself discussing IVs and getting his permission into administer them all the while bossing both Tony and Coulson around having them fetch things for both her and Clint. He stayed next to Clint until his lover drifted back to sleep undoubtedly due to the mild sedative Jemma had given him.

"Have you had much sleep since he returned?" Jemma asked.

Shaking his head, Bruce quietly answered, "No. Between their nightmares sleep has been pretty elusive."

"We'll stay with them if you want to sleep. I've handled Clint's nightmares in the past," Coulson offered.

Secure that both Tony and Clint would be safe with Coulson and Agent Simmons looking after them, Bruce allowed himself to drift off to sleep, his hand lightly wrapped around Clint's wrist so he could stay in contact with him.

###

The dreams came again. The technicolor ones had faded to a more film noir style, but it didn't change the fact that he watched as people who had been his friends shoot at him trying to kill him. His recent brush with the HYDRA loyals, merged into Loki and watching Coulson be killed through Loki's eyes. "NO!" He screamed fighting against arms that held him down until finally he was free.

He woke sitting crouching in the center of the bed, Bruce an interesting shade of green but still Bruce and Tony sitting on the floor doing a great imitation of an owl, his eyes wide.

"Clint?"

Looking around for the voice, he saw Coulson sitting in his rolled up shirt sleeves, his tie loosened and askew. "Coulson?"

"You okay now. You know where you are?"

Clint blinked and looked around again. Tony was getting up and sitting at one corner of the end of the bed. Bruce had returned to himself fully and reached out from the other side of the bed toward him. Taking Bruce's hand and reaching for Tony, he nodded. Giving their hands a squeeze, he took a deep breath, releasing it slowly to get himself fully back together.

"Coulson? How are you not dead?" He simply asked.

"The short answer. Fury. An experimental treatment I tried to shelve but he used on me anyway."

Clint nodded. He knew all about Fury's tactics even if he didn't like them.

"You okay now?" Bruce asked.

"Yeah," he answered squeezing Bruce's hand again. "I will be now. Think you and the big guy can deal with a few nightmares?"

"If it means you're home and will stay home with us. The other guy will learn."

"He hasn't gone green with my nightmares," Tony added.

"Your nightmares?" Clint said as he urged Tony to scoot closer.

"Yeah. We're pretty fucked up bunch," Tony commented.

Clint scratched his stomach and realized he just had a pair of boxers on and his arm was dripping blood from the IV he'd violently ripped from his arm.

"What's this?"

"Fluids. You were dehydrated," Simmons answered.

Nodding. "How about I get a shower we take this party someplace other than my bedroom," he commented suddenly self conscious being mostly naked in front of Simmons more than anyone else.

He sat with the sheet pulled across his lap, as Coulson and Simmons left the room then Tony kissed him gently before following them. As Bruce's arms came around him, he sighed, holding up as if Bruce's peace could infuse into him.

"I'm glad you're home, now we don't have to worry so much about you. And we'll get through everyone nightmare together."

Clint nodded and let go for Bruce, watching the most volatile and yet peaceful of his lovers leave as well, before heading to the bathroom for his shower.

Stepping inside the tiled shower, he turned all the jets on, letting them his body full force, as if the force of the water could wash away the horrors that haunted him. He knew they were better together and would get through whatever they needed to together.


End file.
